Motor Vehicle Office

What you should know about REAL ID

Beginning May 7, you will need a REAL ID to board any domestic flights, enter a military base and access certain federal facilities. However, this is a starting point, not an end point. DMV offices across the state, including Niagara County, are very crowded If you DO NOT have immediate plans that require REAL ID, you may want to wait until after this initial rush is over.

Unsure what ID is right for you?
New York State residents have options as New York’s REAL ID license, Enhanced Driver’s license and a passport all meet the federal requirements. A Nexus card and other DHS trusted traveler cards like Global Entry, SENTRI, and FAST also qualify. Residents do still need a passport to fly to other countries. You will need to think about your travel needs and decide which ID is right for you. Residents can click here to learn more about the different license options.

Enhanced ID is REAL ID
There appears to be some confusion with TSA agents in other parts of the country telling travelers that their Enhanced ID is not a REAL ID. This is incorrect. TSA is aware of this problem and is attempting to ensure all of their agents are properly informed. If you run into this problem, ask to speak with a supervisor and point them to this page from the Department of Homeland Security website: REAL ID FAQs | Homeland Security

Here is the excerpt from that page:

DMV Offices

Office Hours: All three motor vehicle offices (North Tonawanda, Lockport, Niagara Falls) are open Monday-Friday 9:00am-4:30pm (all offices will be closed for lunch 12:30pm-1:30pm)
PLEASE NOTE: WALKIN CUSTOMERS WITHOUT APPOINTMENT ACCEPTED 9:00am-12:00PM AND 1:35PM-4:00PM ONLY
APPOINTMENTS WILL BE HONORED FIRST SO PLEASE KEEP IN MIND YOUR WAIT TIME MAY VARY

All appointments MUST BE MADE ONLINE

*As reminder, all offices will be closed for lunch 12:30pm-1:30pm

Schedule an Appointment Online

If you have any questions regarding your transaction, please call the NYS DMV Call Center at 1-800-698-2931 or visit www.dmv.ny.gov
All forms needed can be found on this website.

DID YOU KNOW?

When you process your DMV transaction in Niagara County, 12.7% of your transaction dollars stay in Niagara County, helping to keep our taxes low! If you are writing a check for your DMV transaction (by mail or in-person), please make your check payable to: Niagara County Clerk. The DMV accepts cash, check (payable to Niagara County Clerk), Mastercard, Visa, Discover, and American Express.

Visit NYS DMV Website

FAQs/Documents

How to Properly Surrender Your License Plates

In an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and still assist motorists who need to surrender their vehicle license plates without a fine or suspension, we suggest utilizing the following dropbox slots located at:

Lockport DMV

111 MAIN STREET
LOCKPORT, NY
(LOCATED NEAR REAR OF BUILDING)
AVAILABLE 24/7

Niagara Falls DMV

1001 11th STREET
NIAGARA FALLS, NY
(RED DROP BOX AT 11th ST ENTRANCE AVAILABLE 24/7)

North Tonawanda DMV

500 WHEATFIELD STREET
NORTH TONAWANDA, NY
(RED DROP BOX LOCATED AT FRONT OF BUILDING AVAILABLE 24/7)

Place Plates Inside An Envelope Or Mailer And Include The Correct Address For Mailing Of Receipt

Note: Please include $1.00 with your license plates if you would like your receipt mailed back to you